Articles & Resources

Managing invasive weeds is a vital part of the overall stabilization and enhancement of the Las Vegas Wash. To improve the effectiveness of the revegetation program in the Wash, the Southern Nevada Water Authority formulated the Las Vegas Wash Weed Partnership in 2002, with the assistance of grant funds from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

The mission of the Partnership was "to promote awareness among the landowners and land managers within the hydrographic basin, facilitate cooperation and collaboration, create an integrated weed management plan, and implement on-the-ground weed management activities in the lower Las Vegas Wash."

By September 2003, the final Integrated Weed Management Plan for the Lower Las Vegas Wash document was completed. The document outlined the Partnership's future activities and methods for accomplishing goals that support revegetation at the Wash. Within the document, the weeds that were identified by the Partnership as potential concerns included tall whitetop (Lepidium latifolium), giant reed (Arundo donax) and saltcedar (Tamarix ramosissima). Since 2001, more than 1,300 acres of saltcedar have been removed and continuous tall whitetop and giant reed removal have been conducted.